Mara Yamauchi is a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, and the UK's second-fastest female marathon runner ever with a personal best of 2:23:12. But there is much more to Mara than just running fast. This book of 42.195 insights-the number of kilometers in a marathon-distills the wealth of wisdom and experience Mara has gained as a world-class athlete. From planning training, optimizing nutrition, and preparing effectively for racing to coping with disappointments and struggles with mental illness, Mara shares everything she has learned-good and bad-as one of the world's top marathoners. Still, she does not spoon-feed her readers with training plans; instead, she encourages them to think critically to understand how to improve and set their own goals. This book also takes the reader into the revered world of distance running in Japan, one of the world's marathon superpowers. It has something for everyone, from beginner runners to competitive athletes and those aspiring to the very top. Mara's insights are also applicable beyond running and are meant for anyone who wants to realize a dream or achieve a lifetime goal in whatever field is special to them.

The inspirational story of athlete Jo Pavey, the runner and mum who ran at a record-breaking fifth Olympic Games at Rio 2016. 'Come-back races? I've had more than a few, the night of 10 May 2014 was the ultimate long shot. I was a forty-year-old mother of two who had given birth eight months before. I trained on a treadmill in a cupboard by the back door and I was wearing a running vest older than most of the girls I was competing against. Was I crazy?' Jo Pavey was forty years old when she won the 10,000m at the European Championships. It was the first gold medal of her career and, astonishingly, it came within months of having her second child. The media dubbed her 'Supermum', but Jo's story is in many ways the same as every mother juggling the demands of working life with a family - the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changing, the fun, the laughter and the school-run chaos. The only difference is that Jo is a full-time athlete pushing a buggy on her training runs, clocking up miles on the treadmill in a cupboard while her daughter has her lunchtime nap, and hitting the track while her children picnic on the grass. Heartwarming and uplifting, This Mum Runs follows Jo's roundabout journey to the top and all the lessons she's learnt along the way. It is the inspiring yet everyday story of a mum that runs and a runner that mums.